according to a recorded conversation obtained by washington post reporter and author bob woodward. >> i'm not running. >> reporter: making the pitch is katie mcfarland. she tells the general that ailes was willing to give up his job at the network to run a pate pa try use campaign. >> reporter: that big boss, she says, was rupert murdoch, head of fox news parent company news corp ration. but petraeus repeatedly shoots down the idea. after he later accepted the job at the cia, mcfarland went on fox to talk about her conversation with the general, but never mentioned the ailes' offer. >> i think that he doesn't want to run. i asked him that question and he said i'm not running for president. >> reporter: ailes said he did ask mcfarland to approach petraeus, but added -- >> cnn media critic howard kirk says one part of the pitch is because in. >> the idea that rupert murdoch would bankroll it is not that far-fetched. >> reporter: murdoch repeatedly injected himself in the race, saying mitt romney last week, tough chicago pros will be hard to beat unless he drops old friends from team. an